Opposing the regular bail application of suspended IPS officer D G Vanzara, the Central Bureau of Investigation told its special court on Wednesday that the accused is “politically well connected” and can tamper with the evidence if he’s released on bail. A key accused in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, Vanzara is lodged at Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad.

“Since the applicant is a highly influential and politically well-connected person, there is every chance that he may tamper with the evidence and influence the witnesses if released on bail, thus jeopardising the judicial processes,” CBI wrote in its reply submitted before special judge Gita Gopi. Last year, Vanzara wrote in his resignation letter that he was “ditched” by Amit Shah and Narendra Modi.

CBI has also pointed out that owing to the previous conduct of the accused influencing witnesses in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case, the Supreme Court transferred the trial of the case to Mumbai. Vanzara is also a prime accused in Sohrabuddin case.

Vanzara has sought bail on various grounds. He has said that he was merely following instructions from his superior officers, like the then Ahmedabad city police commissioner K R Kaushik and PP Pandey. While Pandey is in judicial custody in Sabarmati jail, a court case has been filed to arraign Kaushik.

Vanzara has also contended that IB officials, who are also accused in the case, have not been arrested despite being chargesheeted by CBI. Vanzara has also placed his medical records as ground for his bail. He is said to have been suffering from diabetes and cardiac problems. He was first arrested by CID (Crime) in 2007 in the Sohrabuddin encounter case and since then he has been in jail. CBI chargesheet accused Vanzara of drafting the FIR a week before the encounter. He has also been cited as saying that he had permission to go ahead with the encounter from “Safed Dadhi” and “Kali Dadhi”, allegedly attributed to Modi and Shah.

CBI said, “After Javed and Ishrat were abducted, they were confined in a farmhouse at SG highway in Ahmedabad. During their confinement, Vanzara interrogated them, along with other co-accused.” It stated that a day before the encounter, a conspiracy was hatched between Vanzara, suspended ADGP P P Pandey and the then joint director of IB Rajinder Kumar to eliminate Ishrat and others.

Raises issue of shifting him to Navi Mumbai jail

Raising the issue of shifting Vanzara to Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai, CBI claimed that despite court’s order, he hasn’t been not shifted from Sabarmati Central Jail. CBI has stated that “for reasons best known to accused applicant and the jail authorities” Vanzara is still lodged at Sabarmati jail. Vanzara had been brought from Taloja jail in Ishrat encounter case on June 4 last year and since then he remains inside Sabarmati jail. Vanzara, along with other co-accused, was shifted to Taloja jail, following the transfer of Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case’s trial there by the SC order.